# Question Answer to · PDF file# Question Answer Reference to RFP Documents Date Added 1 I have the following question concerning the format of C.4.3 A Risk Management examples and

Bidders Questions and Answers Employer Reporting Application Project

Updated: 8/20/2015 Page 1 of 30 DRS RFP 16-01

DRS will make every effort to publish answers to bidder's questions as soon as they are reviewed and complete.

# Question Answer Reference to RFP Documents

Date Added

1 I have the following question concerning the format of C.4.3 A Risk Management examples and Sample Risk Log and C.4.4 A Issue Management examples; Sample Issue Log: Can these samples be in an Excel format instead on of a MS Word or PDF format?

The Response A – Proposal Checklist specifies that those two documents must be submitted in Word or PDF format. However, I just did a quick test in Excel, and if you do File, Save As, select the file destination, then show the dropdown list for Save as type, it should give you the option to save your Excel file as a PDF. (I’m using Excel 2013, but all recent versions should have a “save as PDF” option.) That way you could create your response using Excel, but submit your response in the required file format.

C.4.3 and C.4.4

8/11/15

1b Follow-up to question 1: I tried to save the Excel in a PDF file but it cuts off each page and does not look correct when it is printed. Is there a way that we could submit these as Excel files as that is the way we usually track issues and risks and creating a PDF file does not show the true meanings of these logs.

Bidders can submit in Excel. Printed document must display all the data to evaluate the proposal.

C.4.3 and C.4.4

8/11/15

2 The requirement is at least one US customer with 2,000 users or more. If our largest US customer has 1,500 users, but we have international customers with more than 2,000 users, are we eligible to bid? Was this a requirement last time?

No, the company would not be eligible to submit a proposal. Bidder must have at least one US customer of required size. Yes, it was a requirement in the previous RFP, listed as item C.2 G.

Response C.2 F

8/11/15




Date Added

3 Can you describe the IPS workshop process? It seems like a large commitment of time by the bidder before DRS has even decided if they want to enter into contract negotiations.

IPS Workshops facilitate discussions and clarifications of bidder’s proposal necessary to finalize key project documents, supporting contract schedules, responses and attachments. The RFP indicates that one or two Bidders will move forward into this stage. IPS Workshops commence with a 1-2 day in person kick-off meeting to identify issues and work-streams, followed by additional work groups on specific issues. DRS anticipates both in person meetings and telephone conferences, over a period of approximately four (4) to six (6) weeks. If bidder and DRS are able to finalize documents quickly - IPS could end early, and procurement would move to Stage 4 b) –Contract Negotiations.

RFP 9.7 8/11/15

4 BR-06: Is the question related to multiple versions of the processes?

Yes, DRS expects the system to have flexibility to use/store/archive multiple versions of the processes.

Bus and Tech Requirements

8/11/15

5 BR-11: Could you explain the objective of this requirement? Are the rules going to be accessed from external applications?

Bidders should assume both external applications and program interfaces will access the rules engine.


8/11/15

6 TR-10: Could you please clarify the possible external systems that should be considered in this requirement?

This requirement is to "map and transform data from external systems into the process environment." The external systems being referenced are the data files from payroll systems of Washington State Employers which have members of DRS retirement plans.


8/11/15

7 TR-19: Could you please describe the level of parsing expected in the email body?

The requirement is "The BPMS solution reads and routes email to appropriate steps within the process, depending upon content of the email." The solution should be able to parse keywords such that the proper workflow and step are invoked.


8/11/15




Date Added

8 TR-23: Could you please describe the viewer capabilities that are expected?

The requirement is "The BPMS solution provides an integrated TIFF file format viewer". When Employers request viewing of documents which DRS had imaged and stored in TIFF format, the solution should be able to present the requested documents in the employer portal.


8/11/15

9 TR-25: Is it possible to exclude Blackberry from the list of expected mobile devices?

The requirement is "The BPMS Solution provides mobile apps for different mobile devices (iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, Android, etc.)". The list of required devices is not exhaustive. Please list all mobile devices for which your solution can provide apps.


8/11/15

10 In this chapter 5 Phases are defined to build & implement the Employer Reporting Application. Do we need to maintain these phases? If yes, do these phases need to be developed sequentially?

DRS anticipates using an agile methodology for developing ERA. For planning purposes, DRS has identified 5 phases. As described in RFP 1.4 Scope of the Procurement, DRS may consider alternatives to the phases. Bidders are encouraged to propose efficiencies.

1.0. Introduction-Scope

8/11/15

11 Could you please clarify if you would like us outline how to undertake a decommissioning plan, in other words what are the potential processes that should be part of the automation project? Or do you want us to define the strategy of the company considering all the legacy systems in place?

Prime Vendor can determine the details of the outline. At the very least, the Sequencing Outline will include a high level outline that sequences the efforts (some whole systems, others new technology like CRM) in the Modernization Strategy, Appendix D.8, that will best position DRS for the future.

5.0 Sequencing Outline

8/11/15




Date Added

12 As far as we understand the requirement in this chapter is to develop the DRS interfaces set forth in Appendix D. This means to develop both side of the integrations, not only the Vendor BPMS side. If we have understood this requirement correctly, could we include as part of our assumptions to the scope of services, that we will only be responsible for the Vendor BPMS side of the integration? There are many unknowns regarding the work effort required to develop the Washington State DRS side of the integration which may be more efficient to develop in-house. It will be difficult to provide a fixed price quotation for services required to develop the Washington State DRS side of these integrations without additional information regarding these systems and current web services or API availability or database types and structures. Could you please clarify your preferred approach?

Requirements for the Interface specifications (8.1.1 and 8.1.2) and architectural design (8.1.3) would be for BPMS solution only, and provided by Prime Vendor. DRS Performance Monitoring tools (8.1.5) are proprietary and pre-existing; development of Monitoring Interfaces would be on BPMS solution, and provided by the Prime Vendor. Development and support of Interfaces to third-party components is defined in Appendix D section 3.2 and 3.3. Interfaces to DRS developed components (specifically on the Mainframe side) will be the responsibility of the DRS mainframe team, but will require detailed specifications, architectural design, coordination and BPMS-side development from the Prime Vendor. Prime vendor will be responsible for analysis and identification of downstream impacts (8.1.6). Prime Vendor will assist with the testing and debugging of all interfaces. SOW 8.1.4

8.1. Interfaces

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Date Added

13 Is it possible to not include this piece as part of the Scope? It is possible in our Solution to Virtualize or Replicate existing data from external sources. Typically it is not advisable to migrate existing data to new locations. We also advise that due to the in-house knowledge of the current data structures it is best to keep the management of this existing data in-house rather than passing to a vendor to manage or migrate. It will be difficult to provide fixed price professional services quotations without additional detail of the databases and structures in question should migration be required. Could you please clarify your preferred approach?

The definition of "Conversion" in this specific requirement is limited to the data being received from various Employers' payroll systems ("multiple sources"). The requirement is not to migrate or convert existing data to new locations or vendor management, but rather to receive many incoming formats and re-format ("convert") to a standard "simple table structure and/or file layout". Since EIS (and thus ERA) is the source of DRS' retirement data, the requirement to "keep in sync with existing business applications" would be to provide a single-formatted feed of the collected ("converted") data to existing applications. Data Cleansing refers to the validation of incoming data to assure content is compatible with field/column format and length, and values are within defined ranges.

8.3. Data Conversion and Migration

8/11/15




Date Added

14 Regarding the performance definitions we have the following question: Regarding the following term and definition “BPMS Function means requests sent to the BPMS Solution to process workflow, execute rules, trigger external modules, send/receive messages, transform data, check security permissions provided by Vendor’s BPMS toolset, or use any Third Party vendor provided API.” Could you detail how these BPMS Functions are going to be measured? Is it going to be against the database or against the user experience?

Prime Vendor will be held responsible for performance of components which were developed, provided or configured as part of the defined Prime Vendor's role. Therefore, performance for databases, modules, rules, functions, or interfaces tied to the Prime Vendor's responsibilities/duties or BPMS product are measured as performance credits.

General 8/11/15

15 Who will be responsible for maintenance of business rules in the system? Business or IT?

DRS looks to the Prime Vendor to identify the best practice with their particular toolset.

1.4.2.3 8/11/15

16 Over 2,000 Employers (with multiple users at each employer's end) might be accessing the application. What would be the number of concurrent users that are likely to be accessing the system?

We believe approximately 325 users could potentially be accessing the system simultaneously on any given day. However, in certain months this number could spike.

1.4.2.3 8/11/15




Date Added

17 (i) Provide details around existing security implementation /SSO (II) Are there any specific security requirements specific to new ERA system

See appendix D.3 (page 58). Secure remote access must conform to the State of Washington Security standards (see RFP reference to the OCIO standard 141.10). The BPMS must interface with the state's secure gateway. See Appendix D.2, Technology Requirement on Secure Access Washington (SAW). DRS Single Sign on technology operates on SAML specifications, currently via ADFS.

1.5 8/11/15

18 User Interface related questions: (i) What is the current UI technology of the other services in DRS? (ii) Should the ERA UI be displayed inside the SAW portal or as a separate pop-up or modal window? (iii) What are the channels like mobile, tablets (Mobile Web or Interactive Design, Hybrid, Native apps), SMS, IVR, e-Mail etc. ERA is looking to support in future.

(i) For Platform middleware, DRS currently employs WebSphere Message Queue (MQ), Software AG's Entire-X, and POST/GET web protocols from mainframe programs. See appendix B - Agency Profile and Technology. (ii) SAW should be transparent to the end user (Employer). All UI should contain the DRS branded look-and-feel. (iii) DRS currently promotes Web-based mobility (Responsive design). Email is currently employed for correspondence with employers, but must be secure; and we would prefer Employer correspondence via portal. DRS already has some IVR capability.

General 8/11/15

19 (i) Please explain the data migration required during the change over from EIS to ERA. (ii) Will any inflight work/tasks pending in EIS need to be migrated to ERA?

See answer in question 13 above 1.5 8/11/15




Date Added

20 What is the current annual IT cost software licensing / Hardware licensing / Infra maintenance and application maintenance corresponding to current mainframe platform

DRS does not see a utility in providing current budget amounts. General 8/11/15

21 Throughout "Appendix D2 - Detailed Requirements and Workflow" document, we find messaging requirements that specifies notifications to be sent on completion of certain steps/events. What is the messaging type here? Is it Email, Fax, Letter (with any barcode, etc.) or SMS?

DRS has not specified a single messaging type. Bidders are encouraged to describe the methods possible in their toolset.

Process # 24.4c Req# M3 Page 477

8/11/15

22 The document says "Requirements for Process have not been defined" Please provide high level details for this process

We are currently working to create high level requirements, they are not available.

Process # 25.0 Page 478

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Date Added

23 Business Requirements and Rules: The system will follow the policies outlined by DRS. http://intranet.drs.wa.gov/Policy/DRS-ISD-ITS-11.htm Unable to access the link mentioned in the Business Requirements. Would like to understand what those policies are so that we can assess the impact on the solution.

DRS limits distribution of this policy due to security concerns. Please request a copy from RFP coordinator.

Process # 26.0 Req# R3 Page 481

8/11/15

24 Please confirm if we require any multilingual capabilities

DRS does not require multilingual capabilities. General 8/11/15

25 How many dev/testing environments exist currently?

DRS currently has 7 environments, plus local developer sandboxes. In the future DRS expects unlimited environments.

General 8/11/15

26 What are the logging and audit requirements for the new ERA system

Please see the Response F: Business and Technical Requirements, BR-01.

General 8/11/15

27 Application Maintenance - What are the average monthly volumes during past 6/12 months for production incidents, problem tickets, and change requests?

Over the past 6 months we have had approximately 250 problem tickets logged. Over the past 12 months we have had approximately 400 problem tickets logged.

General 8/11/15




Date Added

28 Please provide the details of the tools used for Change management, project management and production/BAU support

DRS uses Microsoft Project and Team Foundation Server. DRS does not have Change Management software.

General 8/11/15

29 "The BPMS Solution's BI (Business Intelligence) captures business activity and allow for trend analysis or forensic investigations." Please elaborate this requirement in terms of what is the sort of analytics required.

DRS is often asked to provide analytics to partners, (Washington State Auditor, Washington State Actuary, Washington State Investment Board, etc.) policy makers, (Washington State Legislature, Governor, etc.) stakeholders, (public employee unions, employer associations, etc.) and peer organizations (other public pension plans). We also use analytics to refine internal processes per recommendation by team members or internal auditor. Typical areas include: 1). Efficiency of workflow process - locating bottlenecks and delays. 2). Volumes of traffic and seasonal trending/load forecasting. 3). Locating duplication of effort, and opportunity of optimization.

BR-07 8/11/15

30 "The BPMS Solution allows multiple versions to be used in production simultaneously, and previous versions optionally reactivated." Please elaborate on this requirement

See Question 4 BR-06 8/11/15

31 Please outline any specific User Interface (UI) requirements (accessibility features) for users who are differently abled

Refer to Appendix D.3 - Statement of Work, Section 9.0 Testing. BR-04 8/11/15




Date Added

32 Please confirm project work location. Will WA DRS be open if part of the development work happens in vendor facilities outside of United States remotely connecting to WA DRS infrastructure?

The RFP specifies a Project Manager will work on-site at DRS. The RFP does not specify where other Prime Vendor team members are located; however, successful bidder will be required to identify the location of its personnel and when they will be on-site at DRS as part of the Joint Resource Plan.

General 8/11/15

33 Is there any current standardized file format for employers to send retirement data to DRS? Example SPARK Layout 2.0 etc. If not how many different formats with which employers send data currently to DRS? How many formats will be retained in future?

Yes, Refer to Appendix B Agency Profile and Technology Infrastructure to find a link to our Employer Handbook. The file formats can be found in Employer Handbook Chapter 8: Transmittal Reporting, Transmittal Report Technical Requirements, File Format Options.

General 8/11/15

34 Will the new ERA portal be the only platform available to submit employer data or the future state should support multiple channels that exists today?

ERA will be available concurrently with EIS until all employers have migrated. In the near future, DRS anticipates a single platform for reporting.

General 8/11/15

35 Will WA DRS be open for a 3 way contract between Product Vendor and SI partner?

RFP 3.2, Bidder as Prime Vendor, is very specific about the Anticipated Contract Scenarios. DRS has specified the contractual commitments it will require from vendors, including a system implementer and any third-party software provider. If bidders wish to identify alternative business relationships to meet these terms, they must be detailed in Response H: Issues List.

General 8/11/15




Date Added

36 Can WA DRS provide preferred timelines for implementation of the 5 phases for ERA implementation?

No. DRS would like to see bidder proposals based on the RFP and requirements.

General 8/11/15

37 What are the current skills of WA DRS employees who will need to be trained in BPMS solution? How is the resource mix between Vendor & WA DRS to be estimated?

Bidders should assume comprehensive training needs. Bidders should propose a resource mix to adequately complete the project, including knowledge transfer.

General 8/11/15

38 Will WA DRS will be responsible for Infrastructure activities (Server setup, network setup, security configuration, system administration and support activities) including BCP/DR requirements?

Yes, DRS will be responsible for infrastructure activities and will expect guidance as outlined in Appendix D.3 Statement of Work. Prime Vendor will be required to certify the infrastructure and hardware configuration as compatible with the Prime Vendor’s solution. See Technology Agreement §9.1.4

General 8/11/15




Date Added

39 Does DRS has any regression suite? If yes then how many test cases are there in the existing regression suite for the following "mission-critical mainframe systems"? 1. Employer Information System (EIS) 2. Member Information System (MIS) 3. Benefits System 4. Disbursements System 5. Receivable Management System (AR)

No. General 8/11/15

40 Does DRS use any test automation tool (for e.g. QTP, Selenium)? If yes then what tool is used ?

We are currently training to use Microsoft Visual Studio Test Professional / Microsoft Test Manager 2013.

General 8/11/15

41 Does DRS use any test management tool (for e.g. Quality Center)? If yes then what tool is used ?

We are currently training to use Microsoft Visual Studio Test Professional / Microsoft Test Manager 2013.

General 8/11/15

42 Will the browser compatibility testing be in scope? What are different types of browser will be used?

Yes. DRS would like to test ERA's compatibility with the top 5 browsers. Unless the browser landscape changes in the next two years, we expect these to be Chrome, Firefox, Netscape, Internet Explorer & Safari.

General 8/11/15

43 What is the performance testing tool (for e.g. Load Runner) used by DRS?

DRS does not have a performance testing tool. General 8/11/15




Date Added

44 Can we expect DRS will provide the test data from legacy system for the testing to be performed by the vendor?

Yes. General 8/11/15

45 Who will be responsible for the masking of the test data? Will DRS be responsible for anonymizing the test data?

Yes, DRS will determine data masking requirements and methods, as well as data sharing, data handling, non-disclosure agreements and other security needs.

General 8/11/15

46 In addition to the typical retirement data such as Salary/Wages, deferred earnings, are there specific features such as Auto Enrollment, Auto Save supported?

Yes. Many features are envisioned (like Auto save) in Appendix D.2 – Detailed Requirements and Workflows.

General 8/11/15

47 Will vendor will be responsible for procurement of hardware and software licenses or will DRS do that

Acquisition of BPMS Software Licensing is outlined in the RFP. DRS will be responsible for acquiring hardware and generic platform system-software (e.g. Windows OS) necessary to deploy BPMS. Any solution-specific, Prime-Vendor software should be included as part of the solution licensing and detailed in the price proposal.

General 8/11/15




Date Added

48 After ERA is launched in BPMS, will there be a need for downstream mainframe systems to interface with BPMS for any business rule or decision management? Also, would like to know if there is a plan to maintain all business rules in a centralized rules repository (BRMS) and all applications interface with this centralized rules engine for Decision Mgmt?

Yes, there is a need for downstream mainframe systems to interface with BPMS for any business rule and decision management, and yes, we expect a centralized rules engine. Both are described in Appendix D.2 – Detailed Requirements and Workflows.

General 8/11/15

49 Will DRS provide details pertaining to the prior procurement that was cancelled? Why was it cancelled? What specifically (cost, functionality, methodology, etc.) kept DRS from completing the procurement? What are the changes/ differences in the current procurement compared to the cancelled procurement?

No, the current procurement stands on its own merits. General 8/11/15

50 Is DRS open to a SaaS or cloud-based solution?

The BPMS Solution will be hosted at the State Data Center. Cloud-based solutions or hybrid cloud solutions will not be an option for this procurement. But cloud solutions are being discussed by the Office of the Chief Information Officer, as options in the future.

General 8/11/15

51 Is DRS open to a hybrid cloud solution, where the data resides in the state of WA?

The BPMS Solution will be hosted at the State Data Center. Cloud-based solutions or hybrid cloud solutions will not be an option for this procurement. But cloud solutions are being discussed by the Office of the Chief Information Officer, as options in the future.

General 8/11/15




Date Added

52 How are bidder requirements weighted and scored? For example, are all business and technical questions weighed equally? Specifically, are Business and Technical Questions (E.1 and E.2) weighed the same as the BPMS Solution Business and Technical Requirements (F.2 and F.3)?

No additional weighting criteria will be provided, beyond the information in RFP 9.1.1 Evaluation Weights.

Business and Technical Questions (E.1 and E.2)

8/11/15

53 The RFP states that DRS has a preference “to contract with a Prime Vendor who owns the BPMS Solution and can provide the professional services (directly or through a Subcontractor) to install…” DRS RFP 16-01, p. 2. Additionally, the RFP states that DRS “will accept Proposals from Prime Vendors who are Implementers but do not own the BPMS Solution.” DRS RFP 16-01, p. 23. How is DRS’ preference weighted into the scoring for proposals?

No additional weighting criteria will be provided, beyond the information in RFP 9.1.1 Evaluation Weights.

DRS RFP 16-01, p. 23

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Date Added

54 Please clarify the differences in the 2015 DRS RFP 16-01 Employer Reporting Application Project and the 2013 DRS RFP 13-002-103 Employer Reporting Application Project

See Question 49 RFP 9.7 8/11/15

55 Please identify the vendors who bid on the 2013 DRS RFP 13-002-103 Employer Reporting Application Project

Oracle, Software AG, and BISIL RFP 9.8 8/11/15

56 Please identify the vendor that DRS had the contractual impasse with in 2013 on DRS RFP 13-002-103 Employer Reporting Application Project and the specific issue(s) that created the impasse. Has the contractual impasse issue been changed in the 2015 DRS RFP 16-01 Employer Reporting Application Project?

See Question 49 RFP 9.9 8/11/15

57 Please provide the amount of spend approved by the Washington State Legislature for the ERA Project in the 2015 session which includes DRS’ expectation to spend in the 2015–17 and 2017–¬19 biennia.

Washington State Legislature approved $4.8 million for the current biennium. DRS estimates $1.5 million for the BPMS software and $4.6 million for integration services, including approximately $1.8 million through June 30, 2017, and $2.8 million for the following two year period, ending June 30, 2019. While we made some assumptions as to how the approved total project costs (~$10 million) would be distributed, those projections aren’t binding.

RFP 9.10 8/11/15




Date Added

58 Would DRS consider extending the Bidders Proposals due date?

No. Delays in the procurement translate directly into shortened build schedule.

RFP 9.11 8/11/15

59 Will we be getting a copy of the slide deck, questions and answers, and list of vendors attending the Mandatory Bidders Conference?

Yes, the slide deck, questions and answers, and the list of vendors attending the Mandatory Bidders Conference was posted to WEBS and the DRS website on 8/11/2015.

Mandatory Bidders Conference

8/14/15

60 Describe how DRS came up with the budget plan for the project.

DRS developed a decision package and submitted it to the legislature for approval. The legislature approved $4.8 million for the 15-17 biennium, through June 30, 2017. The legislature understands that the project will extend beyond the current biennium and we will need to request approval for the July 1, 2017-June 30, 2019 biennium.


8/14/15

61 Are DRS staff included in the budget for the project?

DRS staff hired specifically for the project will be funded through the project budget. The rest of the team are existing positions that are funded through DRS' normal operating budget.


8/14/15

62 What has changed from the 2013 procurement to the 2015 procurement?

The current procurement stands on its own merits and we cannot possibly describe in detail all of the changes from the prior procurement to this procurement. However, the key differences are: - The Prime Bidder no longer needs to be the software owner; - Flexibility in the licensing arrangements; - We want your expertise in working through the Statement of Work to outline all assumptions and who will be responsible for what. -See also question 60.


8/14/15




Date Added

63 Were there vendors who demonstrated software or DRS was in contact with in between the two procurements? Is there a list of the Vendors you met with?

Yes, preparation for this procurement included speaking with many vendors and reviewing a variety of products through attendance at a BPMN Open House, viewing BPMS Webinars, meeting with peer organizations that use BPMS solutions, reviewing COTS offerings and online materials, trial software downloads, and demos. Some vendors also shared their concerns with the first procurement and reasons for their no-bid decisions. We also reviewed publicly available information. Due to the informal exploratory nature of our research, it is not possible to compile a comprehensive list.


8/14/15

64 Will DRS share the vendor contact information for all of the vendors that attended the Mandatory Bidders Conference for partnership opportunities?

Yes, DRS posted list of vendors attending the Mandatory Bidders Conference as well as their contact information.


8/14/15

65 Can DRS share a list of the vendors that DRS met with in between the two procurements?

See question 63. Mandatory Bidders Conference

8/14/15

66 Can you describe the skills of the 50 people we will be required to do knowledge transfer with?

Figure 3 in the RFP identifies the ERA project organizational structure and DRS team members who will need training and knowledge transfer. Some on the team have had exposure to BPMN, but rather than document each person's unique training history we ask vendors to provide a standard training plan to ensure that everyone on the team has the same base understanding of the solution.


8/14/15

67 Can you share DRS' thoughts on the future system architecture?

DRS does not plan on changing the BPMS architecture or the architecture of the current mainframe DRS systems. The thought is we will interface with the BPMS from DRS existing systems.


8/14/15




Date Added

68 Does DRS currently have integration with a payment gateway to receive automatic electronic payments?

No, DRS does not have an outside service provider to authorize credit card payments. DRS does have an ePAY application, built in-house, to receive payments from employers. See Appendix D.2 Detailed Requirements and Workflows, 24.0 Process Employer Electronic Payments for more detail.

Appendix D.2 Detailed Requirements and Workflows, 24.0 Process Employer Electronic Payment Mandatory Bidders Conference

8/14/15

69 How long does DRS data need to be retained?

Forever, because we need to keep data for the life of the member and any survivors.


8/14/15

70 Do you expect that the BPMS will handle the edit messages?

Yes, DRS expects that the BPMS will handle the edit messages on the fly but we will also need to have a process to allow employers to correct data that is existing in our legacy system.


8/14/15

71 Do you expect us to provide disaster recovery for each of your environments (DEV, TEST, PROD)?

No, DRS does not expect the vendor to provide disaster recovery. The Statement of Work asks vendors to provide a plan for their solution. DRS will work with our state's data center on disaster recovery.


8/14/15

72 For the three contracting scenarios can you explain the unlimited liability clause for risk?

None of the contracts include an unlimited liability clause. Please follow-up with additional questions if you have them.


8/14/15

73 We were not able to send a person to the conference. Can we still bid as prime vendor?

No. This is a mandatory bidder's conference that requires one person to be present to be a prime bidder unless there were unforeseeable circumstances as described in the RFP.


8/14/15




Date Added

74 Do you have an application/ integration layer? Or Enterprise service bus?

No. We have a few tools to help us with integration (MQ Series, Entire X, and get/post web services).


8/14/15

75 What role does Richard Duchaine play on this project?

Richard Duchaine is the External Quality Assurance Consultant for the project representing The Caughlin Group.


8/14/15

76 Is there is any way to receive answers to these questions sooner?

DRS will make every effort to publish answers to vendors' questions as soon as they are reviewed and complete.

General 8/14/15

77 Would it possible to define one single format for the Employers rather than many incoming formats? If this is not possible, because it will impact your client’s systems, would it be possible to include as assumptions that we will consider X number of different formats? Could you give us an idea of the number of different formats you are processing?

DRS currently supports two methods WBET (interactive) and SFT (batch) as described in Appendix D2 Detailed Requirements and Workflows 12.0 Enroll Employer, 12.2 D65 Data reporting method. Within SFT, we support three different batch formats:

ASCII text format – tab delimited

ASSCII text format – fixed length

EBCDIC format – fixed length DRS wants to make reporting easier for our employers. For the purposes of bidding, vendor can assume 2 methods and 3 formats.

Appendix D2 Detailed Requirements and Workflows 12.0 Enroll Employer, 12.2 D65 Data reporting method

8/14/15




Date Added

78 In the document “ERARFP_Appx_D2_Detailed_Req_Part_1.pdf”, it is mentioned as business requirement: Authorized users will have the ability to enroll a member through an upload format” Could you detail what do you understand by upload format? This is referring to the same as point 1 above?

This reference does refer to the same format as above. DRS recognizes usage of "method" and "format" in RFP documents may be confusing. To clarify, DRS requires two methods:

19.0 R2 an interactive method and

19.0 R3 an upload method (i.e.: a batch process) Please see question 77 for more detail.

Appendix D2 Detailed Requirements and Workflows

8/14/15

79 It’s not clear for us if the goal is to redesign your current Portal, improving the layout and making easier for the Employers or if the idea would be to build the Portal from scratch. If the answer is to redesign, how important are the changes to be implemented in the actual portal?

DRS intends the portal be built from scratch based on the requirements in Appendix D2 Detailed Requirements and Workflows, 1.0 Employer Portal.

Appendix D2 Detailed Requirements and Workflows, 1.0 Employer Portal

8/14/15

80 Which is the Portal that needs to be redesigned or built, the http://www.drs.wa.gov/ or only the employer’s area: http://www.drs.wa.gov/employer/?

DRS intends the portal be built from scratch based on the requirements in Appendix D2. This is for employers only, and is therefore more akin to www.drs.wa.gov/employer (not www.drs.wa.gov which is an agency wide website).

Appendix D2 Detailed Requirements and Workflows, 1.0 Employer Portal

8/14/15




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81 Should we consider many possibilities to organize the information inside the files? By this we mean how many different text file “formats” (files with different structure) we should be able to read of each function? The functions mentioned in the documentation are: • member profile information, • employment information, • defined Benefit information, • defined contribution information, • plan choice information, • pension plan information, • DCP, and • HERP information. For example, to receive the specification of a “member profile information”, should we consider a different one for each Employer? Do we need to implement a “parser” of any incoming text file with the information in different “formats”?

In our current environment, all 3 formats used for upload (batch process) use the Multiple Record Layout. http://www.drs.wa.gov/employer/EmployerHandbook/chpt8/tech_MRLsummary.htm Bidders can learn more about how these fields are configured in the current Transmittal Report Technical Requirements http://www.drs.wa.gov/employer/EmployerHandbook/chpt8/tech_file.htm Included in this section are two samples to further demonstrate current process, a PERS sample Figure 8-21 http://www.drs.wa.gov/employer/EmployerHandbook/images/figures/ch08/fig21.pdf and a DCP Sample Figure 8-22 http://www.drs.wa.gov/employer/EmployerHandbook/images/figures/ch08/fig22.pdf

Appendix D2 Detailed Requirements and Workflows 12.0 Enroll Employer, 12.2 D65 Data reporting method

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http://www.drs.wa.gov/employer/EmployerHandbook/chpt8/tech_MRLsummary.htm



http://www.drs.wa.gov/employer/EmployerHandbook/chpt8/tech_file.htm



http://www.drs.wa.gov/employer/EmployerHandbook/images/figures/ch08/fig21.pdf









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82 As part of WA DRS' reporting to the Internal Revenue Service, will WA DRS be responsible for submitting 1094-C and 1095-C forms to the IRS by March, 2016?

No. DRS is not responsible for submitting these forms to the IRS. General 8/20/15

83 Because the web-based Employer Reporting Application (ERA) will replace the assortment of methods for transmitting information to WA DRS, is it necessary to provide support for current transmitting methods: secure file transfer, automated dataset upload, etc.?

The prime vendor is not expected to help support our current transmitting methods. DRS will support these methods during the time we are running parallel systems. ERA will include an:

19.0 R2 an interactive method and

19.0 R3 an upload method (i.e.: a batch process) If the solution's batch process requires one or more of these transmitting methods, bidder should clearly explain their cost assumptions in their cost proposal and other RFP responses.

Appendix B Agency Profile and Technology Infrastructure and Appendix D.2 – Detailed Requirements and Workflows

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84 If it is still necessary to provide secure file transfer, what protocols are required to be supported (e.g., FTPS)?

See question 83 8/20/15




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85 Article 3, Section 3.1, grants an enterprise wide license to DRS and its Affiliates to use the solution, transfer the solution to a different operating system and/or different equipment, and make as many copies for production and non-production purposes. The term Affiliates is defined in terms of the Prime Vendor. Who or what entities DRS considers its Affiliates?

At the current time there are no Affiliates of DRS. The Affiliate language is intended to apply if, in the future, there is a governmental entity or sub-entity that is formed underneath DRS.

Contract Documents

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86 How much of the approved budgeted $4.8M does DRS believe will be designated towards the hiring of internal DRS’ positions?

See also 57 which fully describes integration and software estimates. DRS estimates $340,000 will be spent through June 30, 2017, with an additional $640,000 in the following two year period, ending June 30, 2019, on salary and benefits for new DRS team members.

General 8/20/15

87 Section 1.10 on p. 19 of the main section of the RFP. Does this mean the BPMS Solution may be used by any agency of the State for any purpose that “provide[s] services to the public through Internet applications?”

The BPMS Solution will be housed and operated by DRS. However, as DRS provides services to other agencies and to the public, DRS will need to extend the use of ERA and other services to these agencies and the public. In all cases the BPMS solution will be serving the business purposes of DRS.

RFP 8/20/15




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88 Regarding subcontractor references (Response D – Key Personnel and References, D.3 Subcontractor List and References), in our proposal the prime vendor is selecting specific subcontractors for specific roles. Based on our experience and the best practices from implementing our BPMS solution, some of the subcontractor roles do not require BPMS solution experience (e.g., System Test). Would DRS modify the requirement to make it preferable? Current language: “At least two (2) of these references must be from comparable projects implementing the BPMS Solution.” Proposed language: “DRS prefers that two (2) of these references come from comparable projects implementing the BPMS Solution.”

DRS does not have experience implementing a BPMS solution, so success of the project requires the vendor’s key personnel to bring that experience. For Key Personnel, the reference and experience requirements must be met. If a resource is performing a system test, it is likely that position should not be listed as a Key Personnel. However, your Testing Lead would likely be a Key Personnel, so your Testing Lead should meet the requisite reference and experience requirements.

Response D Key Personnel and References

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89 For questions where it makes it easier for the reviewer to read the response, may we reply outside of the table format?

You must respond in the space provided in the table, but that response may include a reference to additional materials that are submitted with and incorporated as part of your proposal.

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90 We realize that DRS is against a tight deadline. DRS has provided a lot of good information and clarification through the bidder’s conference and Q&A. We would request that DRS consider a 4 week extension for submission of RFP response in order to allow vendors appropriate time to scope and respond to requirements.

No. Delays in the procurement translate directly into a shortened build schedule.

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91 The RFP states that DRS will accept proposals from Prime Vendors who are Implementers but do not own the BPMS Solution. Prime implementation vendors may provide key personnel who are experienced in project management, interfaces development, conversion development, change management, etc., areas that do not require BPMS experience. Requirement 10.1.A and C.2.E excludes prime implementers from bidding specialized resources in the above mentioned areas, limiting the pool of qualified and experienced resources available to do this work. We ask that DRS limit the BPMS requirement to the Configuration Manager, Application Development Manager, and technical architect.

(NOTE: DRS believes this reference should be to C.10.1.A) DRS does not have experience implementing a BPMS solution, so success of the project requires the vendor’s key personnel to bring that experience. In Response C – Bidder Requirements and Response:

C.2 Minimum Qualifications is a mandatory requirement. DRS will amend C.2.E as follows: The Bidder has proven and documented that all key personnel proposed for the ERA Project are experienced in implementing the proposed BPMS Solution.

C.10.1.A is a scored item and will not be amended.

See also Question 88.

Response C – Bidder Requirements and Response

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92 The Note in section 16.1 indicates Edit Message Threshold and Data Map requirements have been put on hold. Please confirm that requirements related to Edit Message Threshold and Data Map are considered out of scope for this RFP.

High level requirements are provided for these items. They are in scope. As described in the disclaimer "Workflows and requirements are subject to change as additional requirements are flushed out through the analysis process."

Appendix D2 Detailed Requirements and Workflows

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93 DRS indicates throughout RFP that proposed BPMS solution will leverage existing state infrastructure and components. We would like to confirm that vendors will be able to leverage DRS security stack, email server, document management system to interact with BPMS solution. This will allow DRS to reduce cost of software and reduce software complexity. Please confirm our understanding of shared components and also confirm that DRS will expose API in industry standard format to interact with BPMS solution.

For the security stack, the requirement is for the BPMS to interface to the existing security Single Sign-on via SAML and ADFS, and to conform to the state's security standards (see OCIO.WA.GOV policy 141 and standard 141.10). For the Email Server, it is desired the BPMS be able to receive email and parse the content sufficiently to automatically trigger the appropriate BPMS process. DRS uses the state's enterprise Microsoft Exchange service. By definition, a BPMS includes a Content Management System as a critical component of a BPMS suite. It is unclear which API components the bidder is requesting DRS to expose. Since DRS uses Microsoft solutions for both the security stack and email, we assume bidder is able to leverage these standard APIs.

General 8/20/15




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94 Please confirm that the only items expected in the submission for Appendix D.3 Statement of Work is Appendix A Prime Vendor Implementation Methodology and Appendix E Preliminary Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Plan as the rest of Appendix D.3 states that the other missing pieces will be ‘completed during IPS Workshop’.

Bidders should review Response A: Proposal Checklist for expected submissions. Based on the question, bidder should review Response I: Statement of Work Response (Excel). Deliverables are to be provided in this response, and will later be discussed during IPS Workshop.

Appendix D.3 Statement of Work; Response A: Proposal Checklist ; Response I: Statement of Work Response (Excel)

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95 Can DRS please provide the list of interfaces, their formats, and transport mechanisms that currently interact with the Mainframe? Can we assume that the file interfaces that are currently inbound-to and outbound from the mainframe would remain as-is and we can pick up the files for processing on the BPMS and drop the outbound files generated from the BPMS on to the staging area for mainframe files?

The file formats are documented in the Employer handbook referenced in the RFP. See question 81 for links. The transport mechanisms are also documented in the RFP (see Appendix B Agency Profile and Technology Infrastructure and Appendix D.2 – Detailed Requirements and Workflows). Since the existing EIS system and the replacement ERA systems must run parallel until all Employers adopt the new ERA, the current file interfaces inbound-to and outbound from the mainframe are not to be altered as part of this project. The ERA requirement is to provide for new inbound and outbound files which Employers may use to submit and receive data, including interactive portal exchanges.

Appendix B Agency Profile and Technology Infrastructure and Appendix D.2 – Detailed Requirements and Workflows

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